<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>A small price to pay by lunaemoth</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25066285">A small price to pay</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunaemoth/pseuds/lunaemoth'>lunaemoth</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dishonored (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Fix-It, Gender Identity, Genderbending, Pre-Relationship, Time Travel Fix-It</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:55:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,615</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25066285</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunaemoth/pseuds/lunaemoth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Corvo has lost everything: the love of his life, his daughter, his job, his people... He'd do anything to change the past. The Outsider makes it possible, but there's always a price to magic. It's not what Corvo expected, but what matters is saving his family.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Corvo Attano/Daud</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>78</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A small price to pay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Look what I found in my old drafts! I managed to give it a decent ending (I think), so now I can share it.</p><p>NB: I'm French, English isn't my native language, and this isn't betaed so you can expect some mistakes. If anything bothers you please send me a nice comment with the correction.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The cove was outside of Dunwall, two hours away by feet, near the seaside and hidden at the bottom of a cliff, only accessible by a trail coming down from an old abandoned manor. </p><p>“A coven of witches dwelled in this manor for centuries,” the Outsider explained as the world froze around them and took the disjointed appearance of the Void. </p><p>Corvo hummed in reply and went down the trail. As he reached the cove, Corvo understood its reputation. You didn’t need much imagination to recognize the whale shape. Its walls were also covered with sigils barely eroded by the waves, and in its depths, the Void sang. </p><p>The Leviathan’s Cove, indeed. </p><p>Corvo stepped to the bank and its smooth dark stones. He crouched to soak his right hand in the cold water. It had been a while since he had swum in the sea. Long ago, he associated it with warmth and sand beaches. </p><p>“You made up your mind,” the Outsider observed. </p><p>“Do I have any other choice?” Corvo replied, clenching his cold hand and getting rid of the saltwater with a shake.</p><p>“You always have a choice.”</p><p>“Suicide or a life without purpose aren’t options I’m willing to take.”</p><p>“This is suicide of a kind,” the god pointed out as he hovered over the water with his arms crossed. “You won’t be yourself anymore. You’d have lost everything all over again and — worst of all I expect for you — <em>they</em>’ll be here but they won’t be yours.”</p><p>“But they’ll be alive and happy, and I’ll be able to ensure they stay so.” </p><p>“... You have nothing to gain from this, except more pain.”</p><p>Corvo looked up and met the god’s black eyes. “On the contrary.” This would be his second chance, his redemption, his life’s purpose reborn. Of course, it would be difficult, but he had gone through months of torture and mourning. Pain was an old friend. </p><p>“This will cost you.”</p><p>“Magic always does,” Corvo agreed with a tilt of his head. He had learned from his mistakes in dealing with the occult. He knew he couldn’t ask too much, but rushing forward blindly was also foolish. He had to ask the right questions and make sure the cost would be fair. “Will I keep my memories? Those I need to make a difference?”</p><p>The Outsider’s smile was eerie. “My dear Corvo, how you have learned…” He floated closer and brushed Corvo’s cheek, his touch deadly cold. “Yes, I suppose that I can make sure of this. I would hate for you to forget me after all.”</p><p>“And I would arrive before Jessamine’s death? Long enough before it that I can stop it?” After a second, he hastily added: “And in Dunwall.”</p><p>Just by the god’s smile, Corvo could guess that he would later regret not asking for more, but he had been smart enough to please the Outsider. “As promised.”</p><p>And, with that, Corvo had exhausted his right to ask questions. The Outsider started to disappear, only leaving behind a whisper in the wind: “I’ll see you in another time…”</p><p>Breathing in deeply, Corvo started to take off his clothes, shoes, and weapons. He couldn’t bring anything in the sacred water. Standing naked in the cold, battered by the wind and the spindrift, he closed his eyes and remembered one last time those he had lost too early, those he’d fight for beyond time and space. He crouched on the wet stone and stepped in the cove. It wasn’t deep: he could stand and the water reached his hips. He was going to drown in it though. That was scary enough: he had experienced waterboarding, and the memory was enough to make him shake although he had resisted the cold until then. </p><p>He wouldn’t go back on his decision though. </p><p>For Jessamine and Emily.</p><p>He lied down in the water, let himself sank to the bottom, and activated his Mark, focused on his goal: going back in time, before everything, to save his family.</p><p>The water bubbled around him. The sigils carved in the stone walls and ground glowed blue. </p><p>The energy surged through him and stole his last breath. </p><p> </p><p>oOo </p><p> </p><p>To be honest, Daud had had his doubts about this mission. Witches were flighty sorts. It had gone well, however. The aristocrat bothering them about the deed to the manor had been dealt with, and the Overseers he had foolishly sent to do his work were dead. The witches were appropriately appreciative — maybe even a bit too much — and paid without hesitation. The bone charms were of good quality, none of that corrupted crap which could be more trouble than they were worth (three teeth was all he was willing to lose to this shit).</p><p>Of course, it couldn’t be so easy.</p><p>He wasn’t surprised when one of the Whalers he had sent to check the perimeter suddenly appeared as they were going down the trail from the remote manor. He had expected a warning about more Overseers on their way however, not a dripping wet woman unconscious (or dead? she was certainly pale enough) in his arms.</p><p>“I found her at the bottom of the cliff, Sir,” Aedan explained.</p><p>“Missing someone?” Daud asked the witch accompanying them, a woman named Melina. </p><p>“No.” Gently, she removed the long dark wet hair from the girl’s face, becoming somber as she recognized her. “It’s Corona, a guard of the Watch. The villagers are too scared to bring us the food we buy from them, so they send her. We all know she does it to keep an eye on us, but as long as we leave the villagers alone, she does the same. Poor girl, she must have crossed path with the Overseers and, with her Sunday clothes on, they thought she was one of us.”</p><p>“She isn’t dead,” Aedan said.</p><p>“What? But…”</p><p>Daud shifted to see what Melina had noticed: the wound at her throat, characteristic of an execution. It didn’t seem deep enough to be fatal however, it was barely bleeding anymore after a soak in cold seawater.</p><p>“I heard her when she dragged herself out of the cove and threw up before fainting. The fall from the cliff alone should have killed her, let alone her injury and drowning, but I guess the answer is on her left hand,” Aedan explained calmly.</p><p>Melina reached for the girl’s hand, pulling it away from her soaked cloak. The witch gasped in surprise. Daud inhaled sharply. On the pale skin, the black mark of the Outsider was a striking contrast. A Watch Guard catching the bastard’s attention. That was new.</p><p>“She might not be dead,” Thomas interrupted, “but Mark or not she won’t survive long soaked in this cold.”</p><p>Daud nodded in agreement and turned toward Melina, expecting her to volunteer to take her back to the manor. The witch certainly had seemed eager to learn about the Mark earlier. Her interest had been overt, as much as her attraction to Daud — he had been tempted to rebuff her firmly, but making an enemy of a witch was a bad idea. </p><p>Melina took a step back however and made a face at his expectation. “I’m… not sure it’s a good idea for us to take her. The girls don’t really like her, and we have been trying to get the Outsider’s attention for years. This Mark…”</p><p>“... will only make them jealous,” Daud concluded with a nod of understanding. That was the trouble with Outsider’s worshippers: they tended to get obsessive and possessive. “Fine, let’s get back to the boat and deal with this,” he ordered his Whalers.</p><p>They disappeared in tendrils of shadows.</p><p> </p><p>oOo</p><p> </p><p> Billie was briefing the team for their next mission when Daud was distracted by a rustle of feathers from the ceiling metal beams. He looked up just in time to catch an armful of thirty years old scowling heretic, while a raven flew away in fright. </p><p>Raising a judgemental eyebrow, Daud pointed out dryly: “Unless this was an attempt to smother me, you need to work on your landing.”</p><p>Corona was out of his arms in a flash, ignoring the Whalers’ amusement while she straightened her attire. The woman — who refused to be referred to as such — had recovered well from her drowning experience a month ago. Her skin was back to its natural dark Serkonan complexion, her black hair cut to her chin as soon as she got her hands on scissors (it had been a disaster; Aedan had kindly offered to fix it), and her outfit adjusted to hide any hint of femininity. The look wasn’t much different from Billie’s, but never of them had appreciated the comparison when a novice had dared to point it out.</p><p>“What if it was?” she asked. Her voice hadn’t recovered, however. None of them knew what she sounded like before, but it was certainly nothing like this broken androgynous croak that seemed to pain her when she spoke more than three words.</p><p>Daud snorted. “In that case, work on your discretion.”</p><p>The ease with which she learned to control her new powers was as impressive as it was uncanny, but he wasn’t going to let her know that. His men already admired her, except for Billie who felt she threatened her position of second. While Corona didn’t seem conceited, pointing out her rare flaws was safer, for everyone.</p><p>She tilted her head in acknowledgment and handed him a bone charm. It was the third in as many weeks. The Whalers didn’t miss it. He knew they liked to discuss her motives: whether it was bribery, payback for saving her life, or rent, they all seemed to agree that it made her look like a cat bringing trinkets to its human. </p><p>Daud evaluated the artifact. From what he could feel, it seemed to strengthen his Arcane Bond. That was an interesting one. From the Void Gaze, Daud knew that Corona was keeping far more charms than she was giving him. He suspected she only handed over those she had no utility for. The two previous ones’ application had only been assassinations, and she had made her disdain for wet work quite clear from the moment she had understood who she was living with. He didn’t mind. He didn’t have the time to chase after them, and since she insisted on testing her abilities by leaving the base and wandering around Dunwall while losing the novices he sent on her trail, she might as well be useful. </p><p>Without a word, Daud removed the piece of seaweed sticking to her belt, throwing it through the window, before pocketing the bone charm. When she stayed put although he had a meeting to finish, he lifted an impatient eyebrow. “Anything else?”</p><p>She tapped his sword’s pommel with expectant eyes.</p><p>While she was skilled with her powers, Corona had won the Whalers’ favor — and his, he could admit to himself — with her expertise of the sword and her willingness to train with anyone, novice or master. He realized as she asked him with a simple look that he might have spoiled her a little by sparing with her nearly every day. The displeasure he noticed from the corner of his eyes on Billie’s face certainly implied it: even she had to earn his attention. </p><p>“I don’t have time,” Daud refused, more curtly than he had meant to.</p><p>Corona never took offense to his moods though, she simply shrugged and disappeared with her flashy blink. </p><p>Before Daud turned his attention back to the matter at hand, he took note to address Corona’s presence among them soon. The status quo couldn’t last indefinitely.</p><p> </p><p>oOo</p><p> </p><p>Two days later, at dusk, Corona joined him on the roof of his office where he was taking a smoke break. He had asked for her hours ago, but of course, she had been wandering Dunwall and his men had only caught her at her return. </p><p>She sat down by his side without hesitation or apparent worry, always the picture of calm. She waited for him to speak as she stared at the sunset. </p><p>Their current hideout was an old lumber factory abandoned after the development of whale oil as an energy source. While it was on the outskirts of the city, it was a quiet place to hide with a good view of their surroundings and even a glimpse of the sea. The air was also cleaner than near the refineries. They had occupied worse places.</p><p>“Why did the Outsider give you the Mark?” Daud asked, opting for the direct approach. </p><p>“Because I’m <em> interesting </em>,” she replied with a poor attempt at imitating the god: her voice was failing her more often than not and her pronunciation required visible efforts. He understood her preference for silence. </p><p>Daud snorted and exhaled smoke toward the sky. “Yeah, I heard that one. In my experience, that doesn’t last long. Still, the black-eyed bastard must have had a reason a little more precise.”</p><p>She met his eyes but didn’t answer.</p><p>“You agreed to stay away from your old friends and the Overseers, and you pulled your own weight, so I let you stayed until you were back on your feet, but now that you’re in perfect shape, I’d have you answer my questions or leave,” Daud warned her as he straightened and leaned toward her. She was tall for a woman: they had the same height, but his poor excuse of a face was intimidating on its own.</p><p>“Am I supposed to follow your orders too?” she asked slowly.</p><p>“I think we both know that won’t work. With your clear distaste for our trade, I’m not even sure why you stay. Didn’t find anything better yet and too scared to go back?” he taunted her.</p><p>She didn’t rise to the bait. She never did. On the contrary, she answered truthfully: “You understand.” She waved her left hand to complete her meaning.</p><p>The kinship. That’s what she was looking for. Yeah, fair enough. After all, that’s why he had formed the Whalers. The lone wolf act had become boring and isolating after a while.</p><p>Smoking silently with his arm resting on his knee, he pondered over what to do with her. She was the first other Marked he had met. He was torn between the instinct to keep her close where he could keep an eye on her and the temptation to get rid of someone who reminded him of his fall from grace (not that he missed the damned bastard anymore, but it still grated a bit from time to time). </p><p>He exhaled and glanced at her face bathed in the sunset’s warm light. Her androgynous features worked in favor of her preference for a masculine identity: her square jaw, thick brows, strong nose, and thin lips gave her a firm, determined expression. She had something in mind. Her wandering was not as purposeless as he thought at first, he was sure of it.</p><p>“Why are you <em> interesting </em>?” Daud asked firmly. He expected a clear answer.</p><p>She met his eyes and replied: “Because I can change the future.”</p><p>That would have seemed ridiculous a few weeks ago. Now, he knew her enough that he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. “How?”</p><p>Her lips parted, ready to answer, but she hesitated, tilted her head, and tried again: “I want to hire you for a job… maybe several.”</p><p>He raised a curious eyebrow. “Do you, now?”</p><p>“It’s not assassinations.”</p><p>“Of course not.”</p><p>“In fact, I’d rather you don’t kill anyone during those.”</p><p>Daud chuckled and shook his head as he stubbed out his cigarette on the roof. “I’ll humor you, angel. Let’s admit I’d be interested in that job. How would you pay?”</p><p>He looked up from throwing the cigarette end in the gutter to find a bag of coins under his nose. It looked quite plump.</p><p>“I don’t like murder. I didn’t say anything about stealing from the rich,” she explained when he met her eyes. He went to take the bag, but she hid it back in her vest. “Not yet. I don’t have all the information you’ll need. I need a few months.”</p><p>“And until then?”</p><p>“I can train your men and get you bone charms, in exchange for the rent and food.”</p><p>Daud hummed in thought. If she did part of the training (and he knew she was good at it, that was not an issue), his men would have more time for the jobs. Not a bad deal, all in all. “You’d have to commit to a schedule and reduce your share on the bone charms.”</p><p>She made a face, the closest thing to a pout he expected to see from her, but nodded and pulled another small pouch from a pocket. It sang with the Void. “I have more than I can carry anyway.”</p><p>He snorted and accepted the charms. “You’re a bit of a hoarder, aren’t you?”</p><p>She held out fingers in a sign for “just a bit”.</p><p>“Alright. You’ve got yourself a deal.”</p><p>She offered her hand. He shook it but added before releasing her: “You might not be a Whaler, but what I say is the law here. Are we clear?”</p><p>The corner of her lips rose in an amused smile. “Yes, Sir.”</p><p> </p><p>oOo</p><p> </p><p>In all honesty, waking up as a woman had been less shocking than waking up in the Whalers’ hideout. However, after he had been able to ensure that he wasn’t going to be imprisoned, killed, or tortured, for the time being, the realization had been… displeasing. The Outsider had considered it quite entertaining, of course. Corvo just knew that he had been watching while he learned to work with his new body, while he learned to conceal what he would rather not think about, and while he strong-armed the Whalers into forgetting the mere idea of him being a woman (that was still a work in progress). The name, he didn’t mind much: ‘Corona’ had the advantage of sounding similar to ‘Corvo’, which allowed him to respond instinctively (he had glared at anyone trying to shorten it to the last syllables though, Coro was okay, Rona was not). It’s not like he could call himself ‘Corvo’ anymore, it was too distinctive. So, as a replacement, it could have been worse. </p><p>Living with the Whalers had also been easier than he had expected. As he had traveled a few years in time, a lot of things were different: the hideout, the uniforms (without the threat of the Plague, they only put the masks on when they were leaving the factory)... and Daud. For better or for worse, this wasn’t the man who had killed Jessamine. Hopefully, he never would be this man. And, to him, Corona wasn’t the vengeful Royal Protector. That seemed to make a world of difference.</p><p>As Corvo watched Daud spar with his men, he wondered how to include them in his plans. Hiring them had been a possibility he had thought about, but he had made it an engagement by speaking of it to Daud to get him off his case. It would work nicely in the first stage, of that he was pretty sure. Afterward, however… he was a bit worried it would come back to haunt him. Working with the Knife of Dunwall was risky. They were a gang of heretic killers with a dark reputation… </p><p>… and they were a bunch of rowdy dorks who cheered for their boss, clapped for those who did their best and shouted encouragements and tips for the weakest. </p><p>The biggest room of the factory, where tree trunks used to be cut, had been freed from most machines, but there were still rails, boards, and obstacles that the Whalers included in their training. Aeolos was doing rather well in taking advantage of them to keep Daud at bay. </p><p>That didn’t escape the leader’s notice. “You have more situational awareness than last time.”</p><p>“Coro taught me,” Aeolos replied after dodging a blow, panting slightly.</p><p>“Did he? What else?”</p><p>Corvo pushed away from the wall he was leaning on and stepped forward in the mass of Whalers watching the spar from the upper floor and its balcony. They parted to give him a place against the railing. “Aeolos,” he called. “He’s distracting you. Right here, right now, he’s not your boss but your enemy. Focus on the task, only.”</p><p>Aeolos transversed away to give himself some time, and Daud used the opportunity to glance at Corvo, twirling his sword before looking back at his opponent. “Concentration. An important skill, but a useless one if you let the fight last.”</p><p>Corvo walked down the stairs as Daud put an end to Aeolos’ spar. His turn had been the longest of the novices, but Daud only allowed them a few minutes each so he could judge their progress. He was a good leader and a good trainer. His men were mostly good fellows, even if a bit cocky of their powers and condescending toward anyone who wasn’t a Whaler. If they hadn’t been killing for money, Corvo could have admitted without guilt he was getting quite fond of them. </p><p>Fortunately, every time this thought came to mind, Billie turned up to squash it for him. The second’s hostility was only obvious on one occasion: when she challenged him to a duel. That she had lost all of them only seemed to make her more determined to try again. While he had to admire her determination and admit that she was a good opponent, he also knew she was doing it to remind the Whalers of their difference of status: most of them didn’t dare cheer for the training coach rather than for their second, not when there was nothing friendly about the fight. </p><p>So, when Billie blinked in front of him at the bottom of the stairs, ready to challenge him again, Corvo raised a hand to interrupt her and simply answered “No” before walking past her.</p><p>“Are you too scared to fight?” </p><p>“If that’s what you want to think,” Corvo replied dismissively. He wasn’t in the mood. He had barely slept last night, awoken by nightmares of Jessamine and Emily. Training the novices soothed him as much as it hurt, some of the youngest, the street kids, reminding him of his daughter. Void, how he missed his family. Checking on them had been one of his first steps when he had been back on his feet. They were alive and happy at Dunwall Tower. The sight had brought him to tears for hours. Now, he tried to content himself with the simple knowledge that they were well, but their absence still gutted him and left him empty sometimes.</p><p>The whisper of the Void was his only warning before Billie blinked behind him and tried to tether him. In a reflex, Corvo froze time and simply stepped away. He turned around and met Daud’s eyes, who had been pulling Aeolos to his feet. The Whalers’ leader took note of the scene in a glance and sighed. “Go. I’ll handle her.”</p><p>Corvo nodded and blinked away. He needed air. Maybe he could try again to find Samuel. </p><p>When time returned to normal, Daud’s voice rang out: “Billie. My office.”</p><p> </p><p>oOo</p><p> </p><p>Three months later, they were in a lull between contracts when Coro dropped from the ceiling of Daud’s office, gracefully this time. </p><p>A bag of coins was thrown on Daud’s desk. He caught it before it could fall and opened it to count its contents. “I take it you have what you need to hire us?” he asked as he leaned back in his chair.</p><p>Coro nodded and came to stand next to his desk. However, before he could speak, five masters appeared around the room.</p><p>“It’s time for the weekly check-up,” Daud explained. </p><p>“They might as well stay,” Coro said. “You’ll need a lot of men. Just come closer, my throat hurts.”</p><p>Daud gestured for them to approach and announced: “Coro is hiring us, so listen up.”</p><p>“In two weeks, a ship from Pandyssia will reach Dunwall. Among other things, it carries six crates that contain dozens of rats. Those rats are infected by a highly contagious and highly lethal illness called ‘the doom of Pandyssia’ or ‘the rat plague’,” Coro explained in a hoarse voice with military efficiency. He was forced to pause to clear his throat. </p><p>The Whalers shifted uneasily at the description of the illness but were too well trained to interrupt. Daud straightened at the subject however and started to frown.</p><p>“Those crates are scheduled to be transported at dusk toward some of the poorest districts of the city, and the rats released in the streets—”</p><p>“What?!” Rulfio blurted out, the first to react loudly but certainly not the only one to become uneasy at the news.</p><p>Coro sat on the corner of Daud’s desk and gestured for the bottle of clear water Daud kept. He handed it over, and Coro drank small slow mouthfuls. Once he had corked it back, he looked up to the Whalers and demanded:</p><p>“Burn them all.”</p><p>They didn’t need to be told twice.</p><p>The sailors weren’t able to get the huge whale oil fire under control. Most of the ship went into ashes, the rest fell at the bottom of the harbor. No rat survived, they made sure of it.</p><p>Despite this success, Coro couldn’t sleep that night. He walked around the factory until a light in Daud’s office caught his attention, and he transversed to the window without a coherent thought.</p><p>Daud was preparing to sleep. He was taking his gloves off. He didn’t even glance in Coro’s direction as he asked calmly: “What is it, Coro?”</p><p>The light of his transversal had betrayed him, no doubt.</p><p>“Nothing. Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Coro replied as he turned around to leave.</p><p>“You’re a terrible liar. Why aren’t you sleeping?”</p><p>“I can’t.”</p><p>Daud hummed and put down his jacket on the back of his chair. “Come here.”</p><p>For some reason — probably lack of sleep — Coro obeyed.</p><p>“Are you reconsidering your decision about Burrows?” </p><p>“No,” Coro replied with a scowl. “He may deserve to die, but the Empress should learn what he planned to do and judge him accordingly.”</p><p>Daud hummed again. They already had this conversation. The Whalers wanted to assassinate Burrows (“I’ll do it for free”, a few had even offered) when Coro had shared the name of the mastermind, but Coro insisted on just getting proof of Burrows’ felonies and he was the paying customer.</p><p>“Sit down,” Daud said.</p><p>They were standing in the corner of the office used as a bedroom and the only furniture available was the bedroll on which Daud slept. Coro sat down on the edge of it. Daud pushed him to lie down while sliding something in his shirt. </p><p>“Sleep,” Daud ordered.</p><p>Yawning, Coro blinked before patting at his chest. “That’s cheating,” he commented when he recognized the shape of a bone charm meant to pull someone to sleep.</p><p>Daud chuckled and smiled. “You’re welcome, Coro.”</p><p>Blinking even more, Coro became unable to keep his eyes open. “G’night.”</p><p>“Sleep well,” Daud whispered just before he fell asleep.</p><p>And if in the morning, Coro woke up curled up against Daud’s side, he decided it wasn’t worth fussing about. He closed his eyes and basked in the fact that he had already managed to change history. Soon, his family would be safe from the Traitor.</p><p>Daud shifted in his sleep and a warm hand slid down against his back.</p><p>Coro breathed slowly. His family would be safe, and he wasn’t as alone as he had thought he would be. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope the pronouns didn't bother you too much. I tried to make it as clear as possible: obviously, Corvo still thinks of himself as a man, but at first, Daud has some trouble thinking of him as such. It's only later that he got used to the idea and thinks of him as a 'he'.</p><p>If I had continued this, Daud would have somehow become the new Spymaster of the Empress, and Daud/Corvo would have been endgame, of course.</p><p>You can find me on my sideblog for videogames: http://ashkaarishok.tumblr.com/</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>